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Friday, March 8, 2013

CIRCUMCISION DEATH: Yet Another One (I Hate Writing These)

And, until the non-therapeautic circumcision of infants is banned, it will all happen again.

But this time, it happened in Sacramento, California.

Within the last hour, Brayden Tyler Frazier died after circumcision put him in critical condition.

He started bleeding uncontrollably after he was circumcised Wednesday at UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento.

EDIT: The circumcision was actually carried out in Lodi, not at UC Davis Medical Center, as Brayden's grandfather has clarified. He was transferred to UC Davis Medical Center afterward, and the doctors there had absolutely nothing to do with Brayden's circumcision.

They tried to use coagulants, platelets, plasma etc. to try and save his life, but to no avail.

His body
started having seizures because of it, which lead to his liver and
kidneys starting to shows signs of failure.

He was 9 days old when he was circumcised, and he died at 11 days of age.

He was alive and well for 9 days until the day he was circumcised, and it was found that he had hemophilia.

EDIT: Brayden's grandfather says that he had been ill and taken to the Dr. for 2 days prior to the
circumcision, as Brayden was sleeping constantly and not eating. Initial sticks and pricks were not healing quickly, and
most bandages were kept on him for 2 days before the wounds sealed. It
appeared his body was not producing "clotting" materials prior to the
circumcision. But, according to Brayden's grandfather, "...it wasn't so much that anyone was alarmed."

His parents are now grieving at the Lodi Memorial Hospital.

As a Californian who was born and raised in this area, this is very, very close to home for me.

What will happen now?

Here's what will happen.

Just like all circumcision deaths, this one will be swept neatly underneath the rug.

The cause of death will be recorded as "hemorrhaging to death."

Hemophilia will be blamed.

EDIT: "He had "generalized bleeding"...sepsis, among other things," according to Brayden's grandfather.

Because circumcision is performed in healthy, non-consenting children without any medical or clinical indication whatsoever, how is anything above 0 conscionable?

Death is a risk of circumcision.

Were these parents not made aware of this risk?

Do the benefits truly "outweigh" it, as the AAP repeats over and over?

Or was this child's death not important "because he was going to die anyway?"

I hate having to write these.

When will it end?

Note: Pictures and links to Facebook accounts were not used for this post in respect of the grieving parents.

Update (3/9/2013):

Already, Brayden's family is taking down pictures and status updates on Facebook. They're already trying to change their story to make it sound like Brayden's circumcision had absolutely nothing to do with his death, and accusing activists such as myself, of "misconstruing and exploiting Brayden's story for our own selfish purposes."

It's rather sad that the health and well being of children is considered a "selfish cause" by some.

A child has died because of a needless operation.

More deaths like these can be prevented.

But more important is to preserve the fantasy that he didn't, for the parents' (and the doctors') sake.

So what is more selfish?

You be the judge.

We are being called liars who are "misconstruing," but sadly, this is the internet, and the whole thing, pictures and status updates, was caught on screen shot.

A friend on Facebook made the following observation:

"If someone had stabbed him, and he bled to death, no one would blame the child's condition. It would have been crystal clear that the injury killed him."

To which I say, EXACTLY.

They seem to be a family of faith.

Let it remain in their conscience who the real "liars" are.

Meanwhile, may Brayden rest in peace.

And may one day baby boys be spared from needless deaths like this one.

"Every time a baby dies from circumcision, there's something else involved. Bleeding. Infection. Anesthesia. Shock. Stroke. Heart attack. There's always something that can take the blame. Vulnerable parents are going to choose those things to blame, and so are the guilty medical professionals, because those things were beyond their control, and circumcision was elective and unnecessary. They are in a place where they CAN NOT admit the truth, and it is counterproductive to try." ~Aubrey Terrón

I am saddened by Brayden's death, especially since it was 100% preventable. And thank you Joseph for having the courage to post this. I'm sick of hearing "let the parents grieve". I am sad they lost a child, but they should have researched circumcision before they subjected their innocent baby to it.

RIP Baby Brayden.I am a Mother of an almost 8 year old boy. He was NOT circumcised when he was a newborn because he was too little. When he was big enough to be circumcised they found a reason why he shouldn't be, hypospadias and hydrocele we just decided that he shouldn't be circumcised at all. It looks different than a "normal" (circumcised) penis but doesn't function any different and as long as he keeps it clean it shouldn't be a big deal later in life. I will defend my choice on this matter until I am blue in the face and dead. For the record I thought, cried and thought some more about letting him get it done, my husband wanted it, I didn't. After we did some research and such at home my husband is so glad we decided against it. We would never even consider it if we had another boy.

I am Brayden's grandfather. These are the facts (without giving you every detail)...Brayden had been ill and taken to the Dr. for 2 days prior to the circumcision...sleeping constantly and not eating. The parents also had noticed that his initial sticks and pricks had not healed quickly, and most bandages were kept on him for 2+ days before the wounds sealed. It appeared his body was not producing "clotting" materials prior to the circumcision, but it wasn't so much that anyone was alarmed. The doctor (in Lodi) sent them home and just said to monitor it. On the 3rd day, he was scheduled for (and had) his circumcision. All was normal. It was later that it was discovered that he had continued bleeding from the wound. He was taken back to the Doctor, then to the Urgent Care, then to the ER, and then transferred to UC Davis Medical Center where he received the best possible care. He does not have HEMOPHILIA as has been reported, and you can't find a screen shot on my page that says that. Although, I have seen some altered shot that appear to be quotes attributed to me that I unequivocally DID NOT SAY!

Now, we have not "covered up" the Doctor's mistake. Further, the Doctors at UC DAVIS MEDICAL CENTER had no connection to the Doctor in Lodi who performed the procedure. He had "generalized bleeding"...sepsis, among other things. It was not localized to the section where the procedure was performed, and, again, he had been bleeding in other areas well before the procedure. He also had an infection which is still unknown as it can't be identified at this point. It appears all of these were in his blood prior to the circumcision. (CONTINUED ON NEXT POST)

I'm very sorry for the loss your family has experienced. I consider myself an intactivist, but I have not personally shared anything about your grandson. I can imagine how much it hurts to see others discussing what happened to him when you never intended to share that information with them.

All that being said, after reading what you've posted here, I really urge you to turn your focus to the doctors. I'm not saying this because I'm an intactivist. I'm saying this because it's obvious to me that your grandson healed slowly as I do. A needle prick for you stops bleeding pretty quickly, I assume? So you know what normal clotting/healing is like? What do you think would cause greater blood loss, a needle prick in a muscle or a cut made through veins? If you watch an educational circumcision video, you find out that they clamp parts of the penis specifically to crush the veins to minimize bleeding. (You can google it if you'd like.) With Brayden being a slow healer though, it may not have been quite that simple.

I had a wound for a month that had constant pressure applied to it (gauze packed between the wound and my cast), and when they opened the "window" in my cast, the gauze fell off and blood started pouring out of it. Meanwhile, a needle prick won't take even one day to stop bleeding. It varies, but on average, it's okay in an hour. So I do have some clotting factor. I just never had such a large wound before (or after). Do you kind of see the point I'm making? If he was slow to heal, a bigger wound in his skin, and cutting through veins, was exactly the wrong move for a doctor to make. Did they even tell you that there is a risk of death from circumcision in perfectly healthy baby boys (whose surgeries were performed by doctors in a sterile environment)? I know the numbers are small, but consider this. Your grandson's death certificate will not say the cause of death was circumcision, nevermind that without such a large wound on such a small body with already observed slow healing, he may have just gone to the doctor again, the infection would have been discovered, he would have had antibiotics, and been fine. How many other babies are dying as a direct result of their circumcisions while their deaths are blamed on their pre-existing conditions? Ask the doctor what percentage of people with hemophilia who do not undergo surgery die in infancy.

I read that boys are more likely to suffer from hemophilia than girls, and boys have a 50% chance of getting it from their mothers if they're carriers. I have a son. He's only six months old, but ever since I heard about your grandson, I keep thinking that could have easily been my boy. His father had his first son circumcised. For him, it was just something you did. Where I was born and where I grew up both have very low rates of circumcision, and it is not offered for babies. They are largely Christian countries though, so that may have something to do with it. Until my husband and I discussed it, he didn't know it wasn't widely practiced everywhere. He was also the type to just do whatever the doctor recommended, and most American doctors still recommend circumcision.

Nothing I have said has been with the intention to hurt you or make you feel bad. I didn't even know about Brayden's tragic last days until he had already passed. Even so, when a baby boy is circumcised, I assure you that I never hope for his death. I sit on the sideline and wait and hope for good news. Generally, no news is good news. I feel relieved and move on. The reason you may think of us as "vultures" is because the deaths go viral, but this happens because people, like myself, are furious when babies die from this. Had it been an organ transplant or something else required to live a long, healthy life, people would understand fully that it was a necessity. Coming from two intact countries, I know that routine infant circumcision is not medically necessary. I believe it is as popular as it is in America because parents aren't being told that it can (and does sometimes) result in death. The medical establishment needs to be held accountable for ignoring the deaths. These aren't just numbers. These are people. Perhaps one of the boys who died would have been the next president, or my son's best friend, or my son-in-law. They need to make sure every parent understands that even though the risk of death is low, it doesn't mean it won't happen to their son. They should make sure parents are fully able to understand and accept that before they sign the consent form.

Please, please, please, contact David J. Llewellyn. http://www.thecircumcisionlawyer.com/ You don't have to tell anyone if you do. Just tell him about your grandson and ask him what his opinion is. I know you don't know me and you probably even want to do the opposite of what I'm asking you to do just because I'm an intactivist, but please don't think of me when you do it. Please just think of your grandson. It couldn't hurt to get this man's opinion, and he's not just any lawyer. He has handled several circumcision lawsuits. He will be able to tell you if malpractice was involved. I'm not asking for an update. I'm not asking you to report back to me or anyone else. Just privately chat with him, and I really hope your family finds some peace of mind.

Sadly, a quote was taken from my page which said he began bleeding uncontrollably after the circumcision. Well, that would be logical since it was the largest wound. He also bled from every IV, needle stick, etc.

For this to be some type of "cover up", you would be saying that the initial Doctor in Lodi, the Urgent Care Doctor, the multiple ER Doctors, and the team of Specialist Doctors along with all loving family members conspired to cover up a botched circumcision! Don't you people see the buffoonery in this argument??? I lost my grandchild! My son lost his first child! Many, many dozens of family members, and hundreds or perhaps thousands of friends and extended family worldwide are grieving for Brayden's loss. You are falsely proclaiming that a "cover up" of epic proportions took place! Give me a break! Can you for the moment allow some logic into your thoughts? Maybe my posts weren't "clear enough" for some, but the posts that elicited thoughts and prayers became prey for the vultures who anxiously watched and waited for the outcome, and are now attempting to further their cause by posting my grandson's picture as the "poster child" for their cause, connected with lies and untruths! It's sickening!

How would you feel if someone stole pictures of your child or grandchild and posted them all over the internet connected to lies and falsehoods? It feels like being "raped" again and again! We are grieving for the loss of our dear Brayden! I can assure you that if we thought something had been done improperly, we would not be covering up for anyone!

Sadly, for people like me who proclaim that all people have a right to their opinions no matter how distasteful to me personally, YOU DO LITTLE JUSTICE TO YOUR CAUSE as you create such severe negative emotions that many will never hear your message because your lies and lack of respect in light of our family's tragedy will overshadow any evidence of truth you can show. In fact, you harm you cause and your message falls on deaf ears.

I respect your opinions in regards to circumcision. However, you are only compounding the grief our family is feeling as you continue to spread false information connected to our beloved Brayden. If you truly value the human condition, please remove any false and hurtful posts and any pictures whose use has been unauthorized.

"Brayden had been ill and taken to the Dr. for 2 days prior to the circumcision...sleeping constantly and not eating. The parents also had noticed that his initial sticks and pricks had not healed quickly, and most bandages were kept on him for 2+ days before the wounds sealed. It appeared his body was not producing "clotting" materials prior to the circumcision, but it wasn't so much that anyone was alarmed. The doctor (in Lodi) sent them home and just said to monitor it. On the 3rd day, he was scheduled for (and had) his circumcision. All was normal."

Darin. It is so sad to see you type all of this, and still conclude that "all was normal."

"It was later that it was discovered that he had continued bleeding from the wound. He was taken back to the Doctor, then to the Urgent Care, then to the ER, and then transferred to UC Davis Medical Center where he received the best possible care."

I shall work to correct these details.

"He does not have HEMOPHILIA as has been reported, and you can't find a screen shot on my page that says that. Although, I have seen some altered shot that appear to be quotes attributed to me that I unequivocally DID NOT SAY!"

Well Darin, to your discredit, you HAVE taken down those status updates. So now we can't confirm this, can we.

I need to ask you; do you seriously believe us intactivists capable of misattributing words to you to fit our agenda?

Answer that for us.

Are you seriously calling us liars, and people who would doctor pictures for our own gain?

"Now, we have not "covered up" the Doctor's mistake. Further, the Doctors at UC DAVIS MEDICAL CENTER had no connection to the Doctor in Lodi who performed the procedure."

I will change these details in the post.

"He had "generalized bleeding"...sepsis, among other things. It was not localized to the section where the procedure was performed, and, again, he had been bleeding in other areas well before the procedure. He also had an infection which is still unknown as it can't be identified at this point. It appears all of these were in his blood prior to the circumcision."

"Sadly, a quote was taken from my page which said he began bleeding uncontrollably after the circumcision. Well, that would be logical since it was the largest wound. He also bled from every IV, needle stick, etc."

Yes. And as noted, it sounds like your story only gets worse.

In effect, your grandson was circumcised IN SPITE of his known problems.

"For this to be some type of "cover up", you would be saying that the initial Doctor in Lodi, the Urgent Care Doctor, the multiple ER Doctors, and the team of Specialist Doctors along with all loving family members conspired to cover up a botched circumcision!"

If you are asking everyone to take down pictures of your grandson, and to take down screenshots of what was posted on your profile on Facebook, and you are telling a different story than what others heard, then yes, you are trying to cover up.

It should be clear to you. You of all people should know what was posted.

"I lost my grandchild! My son lost his first child! Many, many dozens of family members, and hundreds or perhaps thousands of friends and extended family worldwide are grieving for Brayden's loss. You are falsely proclaiming that a "cover up" of epic proportions took place! Give me a break!"

Only you know if this is true or not.

Let me ask, if you have nothing to hide, why take down pictures? Posts? Updates?

The only reason for this has to be that you want to change the story.

There are reasons for you and the doctors to want to do this.

Doctors don't want to be landed with a lawsuit.

And you, and your family, do not want to believe that your son was killed.

"Can you for the moment allow some logic into your thoughts? Maybe my posts weren't "clear enough" for some, but the posts that elicited thoughts and prayers became prey for the vultures who anxiously watched and waited for the outcome, and are now attempting to further their cause by posting my grandson's picture as the "poster child" for their cause, connected with lies and untruths! It's sickening!"

What is sickening, is that, instead of fighting for what happened to your grandson, his needless death, you are actually defending it.

What is sickening is that you are calling us LIARS, and "misconstruers," when this is precisely what YOU are engaging in.

Don't make me post the picture on Facebook of the status updates you took down.

"Sadly, for people like me who proclaim that all people have a right to their opinions no matter how distasteful to me personally, YOU DO LITTLE JUSTICE TO YOUR CAUSE as you create such severe negative emotions that many will never hear your message because your lies and lack of respect in light of our family's tragedy will overshadow any evidence of truth you can show. In fact, you harm you cause and your message falls on deaf ears."

We cannot stop proclaiming our cause because it creates "severe negative emotions" in others. Speaking out against female genital cutting creates the same emotions in those who wish to continue the practice, and who view it as a cherished tradition.

It's entertaining watching you preach to me about "lies" and "lack of respect." It is a lack of respect for Brayden's death that you are fighting to change the story around his death, and trying to make you and his parents the victims of something WE did.

Sorry, but we didn't mutilate your grandson, causing a needless wound, and causing him to needlessly bleed to death.

We're not the ones that did that.

I've decided that my message will fall on deaf ears. There are those who will simply never want to listen. I've decided to speak out regardless. Those who will listen will listen, those who won't will continue to insist in living in eternal bliss.

"I respect your opinions in regards to circumcision. However, you are only compounding the grief our family is feeling as you continue to spread false information connected to our beloved Brayden. If you truly value the human condition, please remove any false and hurtful posts and any pictures whose use has been unauthorized."

If you respect your grandson, don't change your story. Don't accuse those spreading what YOU YOURSELF have said as "liars" and "misconstruers."

If you have nothing to hide, then there is no need for you to go around demanding people take down your grandson's pictures and posts that you have made.

Sadly, this is the internet. Once something has been posted, it cannot be un-posted.

I hope this makes you think twice about what you decide to post concerning your family on something as open and public as Facebook.

It is clear to those whom have been following the tragedy of your grandson's death that doctors acted incorrectly.

Consider that you and your family may have been fooled by doctors into thinking it was OK to circumcise Brayden, in spite of his condition. Consider that you nor your family were given all the facts.

Consider that the doctors are only interested in avoiding a costly lawsuit.

Please, get a lawyer and go after the establishment that led you down this destructive pathway.

I am in New Zealand. Intactivists all over the world are hurting over the death of Brayden and would do nothing to intensify your family's grief. We are not "vultures". Nothing would make us happier than if he had pulled through - or never had to go through any of this. (We have seen it happen before, time after time.)

The sorry truth is that you were lied to about how small the risks of circumcision are. For decades in the USA, circumcision was promoted by Dr Edgar Schoen, who says "Most circumcision deaths are the result of complications from general anesthetic." Shifting the blame like this is typical. A professor of molecular biology in Sydney called Brian Morris is a circumcision enthusiast whose website (http://www.circinfo.net/benefits_outweigh_the_risks.html) says "There are no deaths today from medical circumcisions in developed countries." The AAP's circumcision policy last year chose to ignore deaths from circumcision because it could find no statistics for them, only case studies.

What you say above clearly indicates that Brayden's circumcision was at least implicated in his death. Someone at Lodi is guilty of malpractice in not warning your son and daughter-in-law of the risks of proceeding. Please redirct your wrath at them.

Other attorneys who could help you are J. Steven Svoboda in Oakland and John Geisheker in Seattle.

I am so sorry for the loss of your grandson but I will never understand sweeping the truth under the rug? Your grandson was taken because of Dr's money hungry negligence! I bet they only were told the "benefits" of removing the foreskin and not the risks, what the foreskin is or the benefits of keeping it, why? To fit their agenda and now you're playing into their hands by not speaking out and saving another family this heartache!

Brayden's death should not be in vain! We all saw your status updates, most of us as you updated ,and there is no denying the truth...If this was my story I would never shut up about the negligence of those Dr's and the murder of my son. You are protecting the wrong side!

"but sadly, this is the internet, and the whole thing, pictures and status updates, was caught on screen shot."SADLY? More like THANKFULLY. It is because of the internet and social media that these deaths are not being swept under the rug, a situation very similar to the images of civil rights marchers being sprayed with fire hoses and such.

I can't seem to win with you people. Not that this is about winning! This is about a tragic loss in my family.

First of all, nowhere did I ever say it was complications from the circumcision...a friend of mine who shared a prayer request did, and he was wrong.

Second, he wasn't bleeding at the time of the circumcision...that had happened just after he had been released from the hospital, but he had been sleeping too much the day before. He did not have any open wounds or open needle sticks. They had all closed, but they had taken longer than they should have to heal.

Third, as for me taking down status updates, I have simply made my page "private" to my friends only. Plus, several "Intactivists" have stated this is my fault this has become so public because my page is "public". So you see, now that I have changed the privacy settings, you accuse me of doing something illicit. Interestingly enough, I have found a ton of blogs and websites that all have the screen shots posted, and then they post right below them things I have not said. Funny, but apparently many people will comment on the story without ever reading the actual screen shots, what they said, or understanding how they can me misconstrued.

I am not telling a different story, I am releasing more details and clarifying it. As you might imagine, my initial posts were to update my friends...not give you material to further your cause. It's really not your business all of my grandson's medical conditions...you don't have the right to know! I'm sure you wouldn't disclose your entire medical history to me or make it public? He was 11 days old...we are talking about his entire medical history (in essence).

Lastly, you can be a sheep or ignorant or whatever you choose...we have nothing to cover up. Our baby is gone. We did not cause his death nor contribute to it, regardless of what you think. My conscience is clear, and GOD is with me. Your conscience should not be clear and you are causing pain to an already grieving family by continuing to spread you lies about my grandson's passing.

By the way...I am in a business where most of my clients are attorneys. I see many of them daily. I have even been contact my a few about this. Suffice it to say, we will review the autopsy results when they come back in 6 weeks. The only potential lawsuit at this point could be against those that use unauthorized materials (photos) in a way that may be slanderous or libelous. That's not how we operate, but you guys are causing way more pain than any of the Doctors ever did. And, you inability to understand in the face of me providing more factual details only proves your intent to further your cause at any costs, even if the details are lies...even if it inflicts emotional pain on an already devastated family. I hope you are happy with yourself!

"I can't seem to win with you people. Not that this is about winning! This is about a tragic loss in my family."

If you care for your family, pursue this to the fullest extent of the law. That your child died is not OUR fault.

"First of all, nowhere did I ever say it was complications from the circumcision...a friend of mine who shared a prayer request did, and he was wrong."

Oh Darin. We have you on record. Seriously now.

"Second, he wasn't bleeding at the time of the circumcision...that had happened just after he had been released from the hospital, but he had been sleeping too much the day before. He did not have any open wounds or open needle sticks. They had all closed, but they had taken longer than they should have to heal."

But these tell-tale signs were ignored.

Your story just keeps changing.

"Third, as for me taking down status updates, I have simply made my page "private" to my friends only. Plus, several "Intactivists" have stated this is my fault this has become so public because my page is "public". So you see, now that I have changed the privacy settings, you accuse me of doing something illicit. Interestingly enough, I have found a ton of blogs and websites that all have the screen shots posted, and then they post right below them things I have not said. Funny, but apparently many people will comment on the story without ever reading the actual screen shots, what they said, or understanding how they can me misconstrued."

You can only fool yourself, Darin.

"I am not telling a different story, I am releasing more details and clarifying it."

Oh, THAT'S what it's called now.

"As you might imagine, my initial posts were to update my friends...not give you material to further your cause."

So I guess it's real to them, but not to us eh?

"It's really not your business all of my grandson's medical conditions...you don't have the right to know! I'm sure you wouldn't disclose your entire medical history to me or make it public? He was 11 days old...we are talking about his entire medical history (in essence)."

You shouldn't have posted it on Facebook.

"Lastly, you can be a sheep or ignorant or whatever you choose...we have nothing to cover up."

So then stop asking us to take down pictures of your posts and photos.

"Our baby is gone. We did not cause his death nor contribute to it, regardless of what you think."

And that is the problem. Nobody is accusing you or Brayden's parents; we accuse the doctors that keep perpetuating this. Brayden's circumcision should never have happened.

"My conscience is clear, and GOD is with me."

Then go with god. You have nothing to worry about then.

"Your conscience should not be clear and you are causing pain to an already grieving family by continuing to spread you lies about my grandson's passing."

I'm sorry pointing to the reality of your grandson's passing causes you pain.

You should be angry that he died a needless death. Not angry that people are telling you to get a lawyer.

"By the way...I am in a business where most of my clients are attorneys. I see many of them daily. I have even been contact my a few about this. Suffice it to say, we will review the autopsy results when they come back in 6 weeks."

I hope you will be honest about them.

"The only potential lawsuit at this point could be against those that use unauthorized materials (photos) in a way that may be slanderous or libelous."

I think you will find it difficult that somebody "stole" pictures you posted publicly on Facebook. It is not "slanderous" or "libelous" if it's true, Darin. Think about that.

"That's not how we operate, but you guys are causing way more pain than any of the Doctors ever did."

Remember that we didn't kill your grandson.

It is not our fault your grandson suffered a needless death.

"And, you inability to understand in the face of me providing more factual details only proves your intent to further your cause at any costs, even if the details are lies...even if it inflicts emotional pain on an already devastated family. I hope you are happy with yourself!"

You only fool yourself Darin.

Keep posting your details.

Let the plot thicken.

Let others see how far you will go to protect the fantasy that your grandson was not murdered by his circumcisors.

"How would you feel if someone stole pictures of your child or grandchild and posted them all over the internet connected to lies and falsehoods?"

They weren't connected to 'lies' and 'falsehoods'. They were connected with what we saw posted on your own page and what your friends said. Your information was posted publicly, and per Facebook rules, our use of it was legitimate.

Mr. Frazier, nothing you have said here indicates that it was a good thing to proceed with the circumcision.

Not that it's ever a good thing to mutilate the healthy genitals of a child, but I find it appalling - not surprising, but appalling nonetheless - that doctors would proceed with this unethical procedure given his supposed issues beforehand.

Believe it or not, we are on Brayden's side. Many of us have shed tears over his loss, have had trouble sleeping, have been sick to death all day over what happened to your beautiful grandson.

This should never happen to a child and his death is yet another of MANY who have fallen victim to this unethical and violating procedure. Just a couple weeks before Brayden, another baby was at death's door because he had been cut. Thank God he pulled through ... and when we found out what was going on with Brayden, we prayed hard for his recovery, sent good vibes, positive thoughts, whatever. We are heartbroken over this, but we have seen this sort of thing happen too many times to remain quiet.

Your family needs a lawyer ASAP. I'll echo Joseph's suggestion that you contact Attorneys for the Rights of the Child (they specialize in MGM cases): http://arclaw.org/

It's obvious that both physicians and family knew something was wrong according to the quote by Darin Frazier, the child's grandfather. No circumcision should ever have been performed. It certainly speaks of negligence on the part of the physicians and major guilt felt by family members. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family.

It really sounds to me like a family has suffered a terrible loss and that they would like their privacy as they grieve. I understand how strongly you feel about your cause but shouldn't you want cooperation with the family? If they do not wish for you to use their childs photos or any of their information shouldn't you abide by their wishes? Also this doesn't seem to be the first time this has happened. I feel this isn't the way to promote your cause. I am positive there are families that would love to share their stories with you. I think it would be more productive to go that route. Just sharing my thoughts on the matter.Dusty

We have seen this tragedy repeated so many times it literally makes us intactivists ill to see the cycle of harm and denial perpetuated. We want to find the balance between total respect for the innocent and grieving family and protecting any future victims, and Darin is the victim. So many people refuse to believe that this ever happens. They need to understand that infants die from circumcision so that they realize and can protect their children. The medical industry is certainly not acknowledging the harm that they inflict on families.

When the newspaper reports an incident, it's considered news that the general public should be aware of, but because this isn't the website of a newspaper, whatever news the author has to share should just be kept to himself, I suppose? The culture here is so pro-routine infant circumcision that most deaths resulting from it won't make the news. You're more likely to hear about near deaths and accidental castrations than deaths or circumcisions botched less severely. Don't you think the general public should be aware that their sons could die as well? Many doctors don't even mention the risk of death. Let's not ignore the deaths. It could be your child. Without articles like this, you may not have ever been aware of the risk of death from circumcision.

They never check for hemophelia first. The medical professionals refuse to recognize the real ethical issues around routine infant circumcision: their oath "Do No Harm" (violated with every non medical circumcision), no real information provided parents ie. video showing procedure with sound, doctors don't mention death as a risk, and doctors and medical facilities profit from the foreskin sales. If this death were caused by a high chair, crib, toy, blanket, clothing etc. there would be a recall of the product but somehow our society accepts death from circumcision as an acceptable and reasonable result. A baby's life is only valuable up to circumcision and then circumcision trumps the baby. What a complete fail as parents, doctors and society. One death is too many, this practice should be recalled immediately as would any other cause of a baby's death.

Honestly.....my heart goes out to this family.....no one should have to go through something tragic like this. That said, it makes me cringe to see the attacks on those who are concerned about a baby that died after he was circumcised without a medical need to do so. No one wants to further a "cause"....... that is not the focus.....this is about acknowledging a very possible medical negligence that caused the death of a newborn infant. If this grandfather really believes that people who have involved themselves in this incident that was posted publicly on Facebook.....have caused MORE pain than the medical professionals that proceeded with an unnecessary genital alteration surgery on an infant regardless of the "signs" that pointed to some sketchy decisions to proceed, well then, I don't know what to say! Gather your attorney friends....gather them.....BUT put them to work investigating the medical professionals that allowed this to happen. Don't waste your anger and hurt on people who don't deserve it......go after those who are responsible! Yes, you lost a precious baby whose death may have been prevented......focus on that fact and go forward with your investigation. That is how you can come to terms with what has happened.....and when it is all said and done....just maybe other infants might be spared as a result of your actions. Please choose the right actions for Baby Braydens sake.

Our problem is with the medical community that is all to eager to cut baby boys. So eager, that they overlook signs that could have prevented your grandson's death.

Our problem is with a culture that is so worried about what their son's penis looks like that one of the first things that people do when they have a child that is male is to circumcise him.

Our problem is that deaths are all to common from circumcisions.

Our problem is that doctors tell you things like he would have died in his sleep had we not found out about his condition by circumcising him.

Our problem is that when parents and families loose children to circumcision they feel so guilty that they go into a state of denial to ease the pain of their loss. They don't fight for other babies, who will die in the future, just like theirs did.

Our problem is that circumcision on perfectly healthy genitals is legal in this country.

Our problem is we need you on our side to fight for babies like yours, but you don't see the problem as a problem.

You have our deepest sympathies.

And when your pain starts ease from your loss, we will still be here.

Fighting.

For babies just like Brayden. Because we are the voice for the voiceless.

We are the ones who will fight till every baby boy is born into a world where they're safe.

The AAP statement on circumcision indicates that circumcision should only be performed on healthy and stable babies. This part of the statement is routinarily ignored by American doctors, it has come to my attention in the last couple of months that all too often babies in the NICU, babies with heart conditions, and in this case, babies with clotting conditions, are still being considered fit for circumcision by the doctors and undergone the procedure with the parents' blessing.

Unfortunately this is a recipe for disaster, and this disaster just occurred here.

If this baby had a bleeding disorder or an infection, and had not been circumcised, he might have had a better chance for survival. Circumcision is a physical injury, an open wound. The procedure itself is traumatic, and doing it to a baby with a health condition can make the condition worse.

I wish that this family may find closure and heal from this tragic event.

Please know that refusing to see that the doctors acted wrong in allowing his circumcision, is only going to cause similar grief to more families in the future. Doctors need to understand that this procedure should not be performed on babies with underlying health conditions -the AAP said it themselves. Neglecting this only causes grief.

I hope you will understand where I'm coming from when I say you are not going to win any debates about the ethics of forced circumcision with Mr. Frazier on this page. Obviously this family is deeply grieving and perhaps also feeling some guilt with this baby's death.

There is of course a natural tendency to place blame whenever there is a death from circumcision. Remember the recent death of a baby J.H? The mother blamed herself loudly and clearly on her own blog, then quickly removed all her public postings and changed her tune. The hospital and the doctors however didn't take blame, they shifted responsibility around and ultimately the blame was placed on the baby, his previous "condition" was to blame.

I suspect the same thing is already happening to this family. The hospital will have contacted their own lawyers to make sure they all their "ducks are in a row" so that they are not legally liable. They will most certainly be prepared to state (not now to the family's face, but later if necessary in court) that "they didn't advise circumcision, the family wanted it."

These cases don't generally go well in court. Remember the case of the boy in Alaska who was severely neurologically damaged from circumcision? Now in a wheelchair and needing life long care? That hospital conveniently "lost" the child's medical records.

Remember the case of David Reimer?

etc.

So you are not going to win any debates here with Mr. Frazier nor should you try. The best you can offer is help, advice, perhaps encourage him to contact a lawyer, someone like David Llewellyn of Atlanta, who has handled circumcision damage and death cases. Perhaps Charles Bonner of the Bay Area. Perhaps they could advise this family of where they might take this case, if and when they are ready to seek justice for their child.

Ultimately the blame rests with the doctor who took a scalpel to the healthy genitals of a child, particularly an infant who was already having a struggle with life. The blame rests with the hospital that profits financially from offering "circumcision" as an extra, without educating parents on the anatomy of normal genitals and the benefits of keeping the child whole.

The blame most certainly rests with the American Academy of Pediatrics who recently stated that the benefits of circumcision outweigh the risks. In the face of this child's death that is a lie that must be exposed.

Some families have won millions of dollars in wrongful circumcision lawsuits, though the families of boys damaged severely by Mogen clamps will never likely see any of that money, the company that produced that torture device went bankrupt.

Money can never replace a penis severely damaged or ablated or bring back a baby that has died. But it is a commodity the hospital (which is in business) can understand and it is a commodity the AAP (which is a trade organization) can understand. Right now circumcision of baby boys is a cash cow for the American medical community, the victims get swept under the rug, blame is placed covertly upon the parents and the people responsible slink away and continue their business.

Perhaps if the family subjected to this atrocity can see how they are bing victimized by the medical community there will be a way to find some legal justice for them.

A valid question is: how would the family have reacted if a doctor had said, "This child must not be circumcised. The risks are too high, and he doesn't need a circumcision."

Would the parents have then relented in their intent to have Brayden circumcised? Or would they have still said that circumcision of their son was important to them? Did his parents even raise the question of circumcision, or did the doctor(s)? In most cases, it is not the parents who first bring up circumcision.

But if Brayden's parents were focused on a way to have their son circumcised against the odds, then they really have no basis for saying "stop inquiring about this death". it is essential public knowledge.

I agree that every legislator, state health administrator, and even Governor Brown needs to know about this death following circumcision. In particular, Mike Gatto must be told, "This is what your legislation did."

Remember that those who are professionally responsible for making a "good" or "poor" judgement aren't the parents. It's doctors who are paid the big bucks for the important judge of determining the medical value of a surgical procedure.

Sure, parents make decisions.

But the bottom line question is always this:

Without medical or clinical indication, how can a doctor even be performing surgery on healthy, non-consenting individuals, let alone be giving parents any kind of a "choice?"

Even if the parents "wanted it," how could doctors comply to do it to a child who is in very fragile condition?

Brayden's family freely, freely, freely chose circumcision. He had no medical condition that required that his foreskin be cut off. Circumcision in the newborn period is unnecessary and does not make a child healthier.

However, circumcision does put tremendous stress on any newborn's organs, particularly the heart, lungs and brain. Even healthy children have a hard time with circumcision, but Brayden's doctors and parents knew that he was at significantly elevated risk, even mortal risk, from any procedure. Yet they went ahead with one that put maximum stress on his struggling body.

Many parents are apprehensive about circumcision and are relieved when their son comes through it OK. But what result do they actually have? Nothing more than a son missing some of his penis. And sometimes a crippled or dead son missing some of his penis. Faith that circumcision is "safe" and "healthier" doesn't make either of those so.

Brayden's family wants "respect" and "privacy". However, their disastrous decision has public consequences (i.e., a coroner's report) and needs to become part of the body of evidence that infant circumcision poses unacceptably high risks. If they deny this, it becomes part of the endless circle of concealment: parents proceed with circumcision because they haven't heard of any adverse outcomes, then when they themselves experience an adverse outcome they move to erase it. So the next family doesn't know, and believes circumcision is safe.

Unless circumcision was an essential, life-saving intervention on Brayden, I cannot respect or even ignore the family's actions. I will never say they killed their child. I do say that they were uninformed, irrational and reckless. They and Brayden's medical team in Lodi showed unbelievably poor judgment, enough for the doctor who circumcised Brayden to be struck off (lose his or her license).

"Please leave us alone" is the worst possible tribute to Jayden Frazier's death. It fails millions of future boys.

"They and Brayden's medical team in Lodi showed unbelievably poor judgment, enough for the doctor who circumcised Brayden to be struck off (lose his or her license)."

Hold on there Eric.

Remember that those who are professionally responsible for making a "good" or "poor" judgement aren't the parents. It's doctors who are paid the big bucks for the important judge of determining the medical value of a surgical procedure.

Sure, parents make decisions.

But the bottom line question is always this:

Without medical or clinical indication, how can a doctor even be performing surgery on healthy, non-consenting individuals, let alone be giving parents any kind of a "choice?"

Even if the parents "wanted it," how could doctors comply to do it to a child who is in very fragile condition?

It is parents who sign on the "Consent Form" on the dotted line. The doctors have no authority to perform the unnecessary procedure without the parents giving permission. I agree the parents do so without being truly informed but that is on them that they give permission for something they are not informed on or educated on. We must go beyond what a doctors says and truly be informed. Informed Consent is required to perform any medically necessary surgery on a person. This falls to the parents. The problem is that the doctors use the same consent form for a non medically necessary surgery (circumcision) and so everyone thinks the doctors have done their job. When is someone going to file suit against a doctor or doctors for performing non medically necessary surgery on a person without "their" consent. Parents only have a right to elect medical care that is medically necessary not "preferred".

For goodness sakes, Joseph. From reading your replies to Brayden's Grandfather, you seem to have lost your sense of decency. Try and put yourself in the shoes of before you considered yourself an intactivist, when you thought the matter of circumcision really was an issue for parents to decide... (if you can).

Naturally, screenshots and accusations are going to do nothing but make him think everyone against circumcision is as rude and unthoughtful as I see you are being. It's true, we are not here to win any popularity contests, but try and consider how people are feeling when you phrase your arguments, and know when to pick and how to fight your battles. You're doing nothing here, AFAIAC, than taking advantage of people in the height of their grief.

Yes, it appears the doctors were probably negligent, but stop trying to pick apart Mr. Frazier's statements like he's a hostile witness. He lost his grandson, he's trying to hold things together for his family. Stop being an ass in the face of grief. Your arguments may be based on sound reasoning and be well meant, but this is not the place, and this is not the time.

Let them grieve, and let them do so without being made to feel any more guilty then they might feel or to feel any more pain. Take your anger elsewhere. You're not being fair.

Is it fair, sir, that a child died as a result of a needless surgical procedure?

A man publicly asks for prayers, because in his own words, his grandson would not stop bleeding after his circumcision. From his own account, the child was already having trouble healing from minor wounds.

Now he calls us "liars," and accuses us of raising false testimony, because we repeat his original statements which he made public, instead of going along with his new revised version on the events.

It appears Brayden's grandfather is more interested in preserving a comforting fantasy, instead of considering that his grandson died needlessly, and holding those who caused his death responsible.

I understand that families need time to grieve. But don't you dare preach to me about what is "fair" and my sense of decency.

What happened to this family was tragic, but we are not the authors of their grief. Don't forget the true victim here was little Brayden.

I'm sick and tired of people trying to paint this family as victims, and we the perpetrators.

This would have never happened if American doctors had the DECENCY to stop performing needless surgery on otherwise healthy, non-consenting minors.

We wouldn't be here if we knew babies weren't dying as a result of circumcision, and doctors weren't trying to save their own skins.

As long as this keeps happening, I will keep reporting it on my blog, as unpopular as it may be.

It is silence that keeps perpetuating the lie that circumcision is "harmless."

No I will not keep silent.

If speaking out on behalf of the weak and defenseless is "unfair" and it makes me "indecent," then so be it.

This is so sad. The pro-cutters are going to be the vultures in this situation. They will launch a crusade, saying how the intactvist cult went after the Fraziers unmercifully, when all they wanted was to mourn the loss of their baby. We'll be made out to be the bad guys, when all we wanted was for that poor little boy to pull through, even though his ignorant parents cared more about what his penis looked like than his well being.We don't have an easy task being intactivists. We're David and the pro-cutters are Goliath. But in the end, David beat the giant, and we must continue through the muck of being called horrible names, so that we can throw that final rock to bring down Goliath. Only then will all babies be safe against unnecessary genital surgery.To Darin and Brayden's parents? Get off the internet and stop trolling Facebook, yelling at those of us who shared photos of your angel. Mourn that poor baby. Hire a lawyer and see what you can do about his unnecessary death. But please, stop blaming us...and please do not give the pro-cutters even more ammunition to use against us. They do the real harm. We're merely trying to stop the damage being done.

Please accept my condolences for your family's great loss. Our daughter recently blessed us with a grandchild and I could only try to imagine what your family must be going through at this very difficulty time.

I have read much about your family's tragedy over the past few days and these are my first words on the matter, written with great hesitation.

For intactivists, speaking out to warn others about the risks and harms of circumcision is nothing more than the moral equivalent of acting to prevent a stranger's child from running into traffic or falling into a swimming pool. It is an attempt to prevent harm befalling a vulnerable child. It's the kind of thing that people of good heart and conscious feel compelled to do.

The difference and the difficulty here is that some parents perceive information pertaining to the risks and harms of partly removing a child's penis as a direct challenge to their parental authority or as an unwelcome intrusion into the private affairs of the family. In many cases, people are grateful to receive this important information, which generally happens a lot easier if they're not from a circumcising culture, like America.

For several years now, I have spoken out publicly and privately to warn others on the risks and harms of circumcision, having suffered great harm from a circumcision that was completely unnecessary and entirely unwanted. I have been researching this issue for decades and am comfortable in the accuracy of these generalizations.

1) For boys -- and the men they are destined to become -- circumcision is always harmful, sometimes results in serious injuries and occasionally death. That babies die from circumcision is not in dispute, only the number of deaths is ever disputed.

3) Parents (proxy) consenting to circumcision surgery are well intentioned, but mostly naive to the value and important functions of the normal penis and the reality of circumcision involves. Those who do discover truth after the fact may either stridently defend their decision to circumcise or are shocked at what they consented to and become deeply remorseful, thereby becoming victims of the business of circumcision themselves. Some choose to speak out publicly, including people like 'America's Doctor' Dr Dean Edell (who happens to be Jewish), who's one of the vocal opponents of circumcision, having allowed some of his own sons to be circumcised.

I am beyond outraged at the medical and scientific fraud behind the promotion of this profoundly unethical practice. Slowly by surely, the truth is being exposed. It makes me dreadfully sad that more babies will be harmed, more will be seriously injured and more will die before the doctors are forced to stop cutting the genitals of male healthy babies, but at the same time encouraged that the end of this ghastly practice is in sight.